I SSUE 4 A PRIL 2015 The Light of Meridian

Meridian United Presbyterian The Lens & Mirror Church The angel said to the women, “ Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looing for

4150 Highland Avenue , who was crucified. He is not her; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see Butler PA 16001 the place where he lay.” Matthew 28:5-6 (NIV) 724-482-2630 www.meridianupc.org This time of year may be the busiest for me as a pastor. I was asked the other Pastor: day how everything was going at the church and my response was, “I’m surviving. We Rev. Stephen M. Franklin just need to get through and everything will be back to normal.” My friend who [email protected] asked me the question was a little taken back by my response. Sadly, this is a normal answer among pastors around Easter. With extra classes and services to prepare for Director of Family Ministry: on top of our already busy schedules, many of us are just trying to survive the season. Mike Haddox Please don’t misunderstand me. While this may be the busiest time of the [email protected] year, it is my favorite. Most people come to church on when we cele-

brate Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. It is a joyous occasion. Then we show Missions: Jen Haddox up on Easter Sunday to worship the resurrected Jesus. We go from joy to joy. How- ever, it is what happens in between those events that changes our lives. Looming in Choir Director: the distance of Palm Sunday is the and the cross. We can’t experience Vicki Georgic the resurrected Jesus without the crucified Jesus. This season, contrary to what I said to my friend, is not about survival. It is Musician: about celebrating who we are in Christ. “He is not here: He has risen.” We are people Debbe Picerno of the resurrected Lord. But we cannot be those people without . Let us

experience the entirety of Together. Join us at the Table of the Lord for the Nursery Coordinator : Last Supper. Pray with us as we recognize the sacrifice made on our behalf on Good Sarah Murtha Friday. Celebrate with us as we shout for joy, “HE IS RISEN!” There is no “getting back Custodian: to normal” if we are truly going to live as people of the resurrection. We don’t survive Rob Murtha Easter, we are changed by it.

Administrative Assistant: In Christ, DiAnne Crawford Church office hours Tues. thru Thur. Pastor Steve. 9am—3pm [email protected]

Notes from the Session

 A joint board meeting between the Elders, Deacons, and Trustees was held on March 10th to discuss our affiliation with the PC USA. The consensus of that meeting was to continue in the dismissal process. Over the next few months your elders will be informing the congregation on the issues, the process, and the future of our church. Please pray for them.  Due to low attendance and giving through the brutal winter, we are slightly be- hind budget. The stewardship team will continue to monitor our finances.

He’s Alive! Thank You and update from the Haddox family!

The Haddox family would like to express our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for your support, love and prayers as we spent two weeks teaching, encouraging and fellowshipping with the Church in Vietnam, as well as continuing to partner with the local church to reach out to the Cham people with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

On a trip like this, it always takes some time to collect your thoughts and articulate your experience to others. As we recover from jetlag and get back into a routine, we are beginning to prepare some things to share with you about our trip.

On Easter Sunday, we will be showing a short video, highlighting the various groups and places that we served. In addition, in the early summer we will be doing a short Sunday School series exploring the ways the church in Vi- etnam operates as a minority and ways that we might learn and apply these lessons within our context.

Once again, thank you for your support! We are blessed to call you our church family.

MUPC First Palm Sunday Easter ! Continuing Questions from Jesus series…

April 2nd- Title – “Can You Keep Watch?” Focus Passage – Matthew 26:36-46 Synopsis – Jesus asks his disciples to stay with him and keep watch. Yet they fail. Not just once, but multi- ple times. “Can you not keep watch for just one hour?” Jesus knows what’s at hand, but his disciples are unaware. He calls us to keep watch and pray, but are we too busy sleeping that we fail to stay with our Lord?

April 5th - Easter Title – “Do You Love Me?” Focus Passage – John 21:14-17 Secondary Passage – Psalm 116:1-9 Synopsis – In Jesus’ third resurrection appearance he asked Peter the same question three times. “Do you love me?” Peter gets somewhat frustrated with Jesus’ question, but Jesus wants to know. He doesn’t ask, “Do you like me? Do you respect me? Do you think I’m a good person?” If we love him, then we are called to feed his sheep. The resurrected Lord calls us to feed his sheep. Do you love him?

April 12th – Title– Walking With Your Eyes Shut. Focus Passage– Second Corinthians 9:6-15 Secondary Passage– Isaiah 58:6-12 Synopsis: Jesus claims that he is the light of the world. Yet, for so many today, the world can seem a dork and confusing place. How does the church live in the midst of this confusion with confidence that we are truly walking in the light?

Series – Faithfulness in Exile Synopsis – The nation of Israel has been exiled to Babylon. Daniel is an example of someone who is faithful to God even in a land that does not acknowledge him. We’ll take a look at the first half of Daniel and apply his life to ours. In many ways the church in America is heading into a period of exile where we are no long- er the moral majority. However, we still have a call to faithfulness.

April 19th Title – “Living Without Compromise” Focus Passage – Daniel 1:1-8 and 17-21 Secondary Passage – Romans 12:1-2 Synopsis – Daniel and his three friends are chosen for service in the king’s court. However, in order to achieve this position they must learn how their new world works and how to live in it. They do this without compromising their beliefs. As the children of God we must live and work in the world. But how do we do this without compromising who we are as followers of Jesus? Faithfulness in exile requires living without compromise.

April 26th Title – “Holding the Faith” Focus Passage – Daniel 2:17-23 and 46-49 Secondary Passage – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 Synopsis – The king is about to execute all the wise men and counselors of his court, of which Daniel and his friends belong, because they cannot interpret his dream. However, even in the land of exile, Daniel knows that God is near. Living in exile demands that we hold on to our faith in God and believe that he can do all things.

Holy Week April 2: Maundy Thursday Service with communion @ 7:30PM

April 3: Good Friday Breakfast @ 6:30AM The “Easter Story” will be presented by The Meridian UPC Youth.

Easter Sunday April 1 : Bob Minich Easter Sunrise Service 6:30AM April 2 : Mary Rae Thompson

The Deacons will be serving a light breakfast Gail Raley following the Sunrise Service. April 19: John Kearns Everyone is welcome! Ann Marie Monnie Kala Siefker Easter Worship Service 11:00AM April 20: Regis McElhaney Scott Raley April 22: Ron Sweet

In Christian Sympathy. April 23: Connor Birchbichler Please keep Doretha’s family in your prayers. April 24: Nancy Parker Kelsey Schneider Doretha Anne (Logan) Kummer May 5, 1925 – March 9, 2015 April 27: Riley Doutt April 28: Sue Mutz Doretha, Devoted wife, loving mother, Bill Raley grandmother and great-grandmother, died peacefully into God’s arms on April 29: Delisa Longdon March 9, 2015.

Happy Anniversary Dates to Remember in April April 8: Gary & Leanne Cygan April 10: Michael & Romona Mlikan April 24: Les & Kay Freehling 1 April Fool's Day April 26: Doug & Lori McCann 1 International Tatting Day 3 Good Friday 5 Easter Sunday 3 Passover begins at sundown, lasts 8 days. Congratulation! 15 Income taxes due Sarah Murtha is now the 20 Patriot's Day Third Monday Church Nursery Coordinator. 22 Earth Day (U.S.) 22 Administrative Professionals Day 23 Take Your Daughter to Work Day 4th Thursday 24 Arbor Day always the last Friday in April Capital Campaign Update:

Outstanding Loans: 163,000.00 April

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 (Maundy Thurs.) 3 (Good Friday) 4 7:30 Service Communion Breakfast 6:30am

Sarah-Elizabeth Crl. 1:00

5 (Easter) 6 7 8 9 10 11 Sunrise 6:30 Bible Study @ Cub Scouts 6:30 Bells: 6:00pm (Light Breakfast Noon in Rm.15 Pinewood Derby Choir: 7:00pm

Following Quilting 1:00pm Sunrise Service) Trustees: 6:30pm Deacon’s 7:00pm

Worship 11:00

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Bible Study 9:45 Bible Study @ Community Bells: 6:00pm (Wedding 12 –3) Worship 11:00 Noon in Rm. 15 Dinner @ Choir: 7:00pm Youth Group 6:00 Quilting 1:00pm St. Andrews Session: 7:00pm

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Bible Study 9:45 Bible Study @ Bells: 6:00pm Worship 11:00 Noon in Rm. 15 Choir: 7:00pm Youth Group 6:00 Quilting 1:00pm

26 27 28 29 30 Bible Study 9:45 Sewing Grp Bible Study @ Bells: 6:00pm Worship 11:00 10– 2 Noon in Rm. 15 Choir: 7:00pm Youth Group 6:00 Quilting 1:00pm

Meridian United Presbyterian Church 4150 Highland Ave Butler PA 16001

Easter Fun Facts

Americans consume over 16 million jellybeans on Easter, that’s enough to circle the globe 3 times.

76% of people eat the ears on a chocolate bunny first.

Americans buy more than 700 million marshmallow Peeps during the Easter holiday, which makes Peeps the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy.

90 Million chocolate bunnies, 91.4 billion eggs and 700 million peeps are produced each year in the U.S.

Easter is the second biggest candy consuming holiday.

House holds spend $131.00 on Easter each year, 14.7 billion in total .

Jelly beans were first made in America by a Boston candy maker. He urged people to send jellybeans to soldiers fighting in the Civil War.